Conventionally, information is frequently searched for by accessing an information search server from a terminal apparatus through a network. To search for information, the user needs to input a search key such as a search keyword related to desired information to a terminal apparatus. However, the information amount obtained as a result of searching becomes enormous depending on how the search key is selected, and the user needs to select desired information from the enormous amount of information.
A technique of Patent Document 1 is disclosed for solving these problems. According to the technique of Patent Document 1, sentences obtained as search results and a plurality of keywords included in the sentences are presented to the user together with the frequency of use. By this means, the user can add an appropriate keyword to a search condition by acquiring desired information from the presented keywords, so that it is possible to provide an effect of acquiring desired information from the enormous amount of information.
However, Patent Document 1 does not mention to a user interface which receives an operation to determine a search key, for example, to add a keyword.
By contrast with this, in recent years, a terminal apparatus used to search for information is also developed, and a touch panel type terminal apparatus which has, as an interface, a touch panel which integrates display means and input means enables an intuitive operation, and therefore has good reputation. When information is searched for by this touch panel type terminal apparatus, for example, a software keyboard is displayed on the touch panel so that the user inputs a search keyword on the touch panel, and an icon such as a search genre is displayed on the touch panel so that the user specifies a desired icon on the touch panel to perform searching.